This month NI-CO were delighted to host a number of senior Human Resource Managers from Montenegro. The delegation were visiting Northern Ireland as part of a UK bilateral funded public administration programme which NI-CO has been supporting since 2012.

NI-CO’s HR adviser Mr Paul McCallion, who has been part of the UK project from its inception explains ‘ The law on Public Administration passed in Montenegro in 2013 has had direct implications for HR management in 150 public institutions across the country. The project has achieved tremendous results thus far in recruiting and training dedicated HR staff throughout the Montenegrin public service who have both the skills and capacity to implement new legislation relating to merit based recruitment, appraisal and the training and development of all civil servants. This study visit to Northern Ireland aimed to showcase the UK’s most successful innovations in Human Resource Management from staff welfare and equal opportunities to performance management and occupational health. As well as illustrating theory in practice, I hope the meetings gave delegates a chance learn from the experiences of some of NI’s most experienced HR practitioners.’

As well as visits to Capita HR Solutions, Equality Commission, Local Government Staff Commission and Lisburn and Castlereagh Borough Council, the group met with The Department of Finance to learn more about how digital services have improved HR management in recent years.